Sometime Around Midnight
by Phantom Serenity
Summary: Mal sees Inara after she left him again. Based off of The Airborne Toxic Event song "Sometime Around Midnight". Takes place after BDM
1. Chapter 1

**So here's another Mal/Inara tale. I'm using a song by The Airborne Toxic Event called Sometime Around Midnight (Thus the name of the story). **

**Takes place after BDM, so be aware that there may be slight spoilers.**

**I don't own the lyrics, I darn sure don't own anything of "Firefly", cause if I did it would still be on.**

It was another day aboard _Serenity._ River was taking off after a job that the entire crew agreed had come off well. Zoe even had cracked a few jokes as they loaded up and left, rubbing her rounded belly almost cheerfully. As they discussed the day's events, Kaylee hoped that it was a sign that perhaps things were going to be looking up. She was about to whisper that to Simon when she caught a glimpse of Mal's face and she bit her words off. She saw clearly on his face that, even with the good job, he was hurting bad and it wasn't a hurt that the good doc could fix for him.

Mal patted Zoe on the shoulder and told her to handle things for awhile. She nodded grimly. She hated seeing her captain and friend so torn up. She watched him as he walked to his bunk, sighing and rubbing her back. "Little one," she whispered down toward her tummy "We gotta break him out of this."

It had all started about four months after Miranda. Everyone had been able to tell that in the last few weeks, Inara and the captain had finally stopped circling each other, stopped fighting the obvious attraction. The light in her eyes and the good humor in his voice made life aboard _Serenity_ pleasant and helped with healing the crew. But all of that changed one morning as they had sat docked on Persephone. Everyone was awakened by Mal yelling for Inara as he ran through the ship. But she was gone. The only thing she left was a note with two words written in her dainty script: "I'm sorry"

In the months since then, Mal had withdrawn into himself more and more. No one could get anywhere with him. Zoe had slowly taken over command in everything but name. He could manage to pull it together enough for jobs, but as soon as the job was done, so was he.

So now here they were, heading back to Persephone. Zoe and Jayne discussed it and decided that, whether he liked it or not, the captain was going out with them once they landed. "Night out with us 'll do him some good." Jayne muttered under his breath. Zoe agreed. After they bought some supplies, everyone could use some time out and about. So after the supplies were loaded onto the ship, and Simon, Kaylee, and River had decided on their plans, they all went their way.

_And it starts  
Sometime around midnight  
Or at least that's when you lose yourself  
For a minute or two_

At first, it seemed like it was working. Even though Zoe couldn't drink, and Mal spent the first hour staring into his drink and sulking, eventually they all relaxed and started laughing and joking with each other like old times. Zoe even could have sworn she saw that familiar twinkle starting to come back into Mal's eyes. But then he froze, and she followed his gaze to see the couple that just walked in the door.

_As you stand  
Under the bar lights  
And the band plays some song about forgetting yourself for a while  
And the piano's this melancholy soundtrack to her smile  
And that white dress she's wearing, you haven't seen her  
For a while_

Mal's heart thudded as he watched her gliding in on the man's arm. He had just started to relax, started to breathe easy. He had known, of course, that there was a chance he'd see her around on this planet. But he had hoped that just maybe the odds were she wouldn't be in a place like this. Evidently odds were not on his side. "Oh, _juh jen sh guh kwai luh duh jean jan_." he muttered as he quickly downed his drink. He debated on what to do when he felt every hair on the back of his neck stand.

_But you know  
That she's watching  
She's laughing, she's turning  
She's holding her tonic like a cross  
The room suddenly spinning, she walks up and asks how you are  
So you can smell her perfume  
You can see her lying naked in your arms_

As she wandered over, her eyes cautiously lit up. She chatted lightly with Zoe, wanting all the details on how the pregnancy was progressing. She teased Jayne about the latest hat from his mother. And she avoided anything but the lightest and most general conversation with Mal, mostly about how Kaylee and Simon were doing, and how River was still River. Mal preferred to stay rather silent, but his eyes hungrily took in every detail of her, so as to torture himself better.

_And so there's a change  
In your emotions  
And all of these memories come rushing like feral waves to your mind  
Of the curl of your bodies, like two perfect circles entwined  
And you feel hopeless, and homeless, and lost in the haze of the wine_

He watched her as she walked back to her… well, whatever he was. But his mind wasn't there anymore. It was reliving every moment of the best weeks of his life. Mal kept telling himself that it was bound to end eventually. There really wasn't any logical way he could expect a beautiful Companion like Inara to waste her time on an old _hwoon dahn_ like him. Still didn't make it hurt any less that morning he had woken up to a room that somehow lost all its warmth when she had left. Mal quickly told Jayne to get more drinks. Jayne bolted up; glad to get away from the uncomfortable aura around the table that even he couldn't miss. Zoe watched him, knowing that any attempts to comfort him would do about as much good as any that had been tried with her those first weeks after Miranda.

_And she leaves  
With someone you don't know  
But she makes sure you saw her, she looks right at you and bolts  
As she walks out the door  
Your blood boiling, your stomach in ropes  
And then your friends say "What is it? You look like you've seen a ghost."_

He couldn't help himself. He watched her every move as they left. Somehow it registered that, since he'd never see her again, he'd better soak up every image of her he could. Inara turned once right before the door. Mal thought ironically that her Companion training served her well. He couldn't tell what she was thinking when their eyes locked, but he knew she could read him like a book. She always could read him. Zoe cut a sharp look at Jayne before he could make some dumb comment. Jayne nodded gruffly and turned his attention to his drink. Not much he could do about the whole _gorram _situation anyway. Might as well enjoy his drink. Zoe saw Mal's face drain of any color as Inara finally walked out. _'So much for getting him out to enjoy himself' _she thought as he stood abruptly.

_And you walk  
Under the streetlights  
And you're too drunk to notice that everyone's staring at you  
You don't care what you look like  
The world is falling around you_

Mal threw down some coin for his drinks and stumbled outside. The cool night air hit his face as he trembled, leaning up against a light post. Ignoring the curious glances from people walking by, he finally allowed the tears that he had held back for months to trail down his face. She was the only one who could twist him up and spin him about this way. And, not for the first time, he wondered what he was supposed to do now that he didn't have her to light his way.

He stumbled through the street, wiping furiously at the tears, ordering himself to stop. But as he made his way back to _Serenity_ he couldn't help but whisper the name that would haunt him the rest of his days. Then he stopped in the almost empty street and yelled her name to the sky as if he was begging the 'verse for an answer. "INARA!"

_You just have to see her  
You just have to see her  
You just have to see her  
You just have to see her  
You just have to see her_

_You know that she'll break you in two_

**So, I have an idea for a second chapter to this, but I want to hear from you all first. Liked it? Hated it? Need to see it finished? Let me know. Hit that review button.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Ok here we go with chapter 2. What's going to happen to these two?**

**I don't own anything that you recognize.**

Inara stopped short. She could have sworn that she heard someone call her name. Colton, her friend and escort for the evening, paused when she stopped, a concerned look on his face. He had seen her talking to some people while they were in that bar. Normally Companions of their stature wouldn't dare go into a place like that unless their clients wished to. But He had always been a bit curious about that sort of place, and some of the stories Inara had told showed she knew how to make her way in even the lowest of bars and clubs.

So he had convinced her to go with him. Colton teased her, saying that she knew he wouldn't last a minute by himself in there. She had finally consented, although he saw that it seemed to tear at her a bit. Now it was starting to all fall into place. "Inara," he said softly, "That was him, wasn't it?" She looked up at him, pain in her eyes. No one else but another Companion would have been able to read her that way. He saw clearly that it was worse than it had been in a long time. "Who, Colton? Who are you talking about?" she parried, trying to clear her face of any expression. He shook his head at her. "You don't play a player, Inara." He chided lightly, using a phrase she used often against her. "I know you've been hurting, dear. You saw _him_ in there, didn't you? That's who was at that table."

She took a deep breath, and for a moment it appeared she would be successful in calming herself and pretending yet again. Then suddenly, she broke down. Inara started crying softly, and Colton pulled her close to let her cry on his shoulder for a moment. After she calmed herself, he pushed her back so as to look her in the eye and said "Go after him. Go find him." Inara looked at him like he grown another head. "Colton, what are you saying? I can't do that." He shook her gently. "Inara, you're in pain. Why are you doing this to yourself? You went out to travel, and you made a wonderful life for yourself. And then you came back without explaining to anyone why. But I knew why. You fell in love, and you ran from it."

Inara started to speak but he cut her off. "Inara, I know you. You have been a very successful Companion, and you are a wonderful woman. But you block everyone off. I know in our line of work you have to do that to some extent. But things are changing. People change. You've changed. The life of a Companion is not right for you anymore. You won't be happy." He looked off for a moment. "If you don't take this chance now, you will regret it. Trust me."

She stared for a long moment, and it was almost as if Colton could see the wheels turning. Then for the first time in a very long time he saw her eyes begin to light up. She kissed him gently on the cheek and whispered "I'll contact you about getting my things from the House." Then she gathered up her skirts and began running the direction they had come from. Colton watched her go, smiling at his friend finally working for her own happiness. He wished he had shown that same courage in his life.

Inara ran as fast as she could, eventually finding herself almost in front of the bar again. She looked at the doors right as Zoe and Jayne walked out. "Zoe!" She called out, rushing toward them. They were shocked to see their friend again. "What're you doing back here 'Nara?" Jayne asked, confused and thinking maybe he drank too much if he was gonna be hallucinatin'. "Where's Mal?" she sputtered out. Zoe shook her head and placed a hand on Inara's shoulder to steady her. "He walked out not long after you left. I hope he went back to _Serenity_. Come on, we're docked this way." The three walked together towards the docks, Inara refusing to answer any questions. She didn't want anyone to hear her feelings and thoughts until Mal heard them. It was his right.

They were almost back to the ship when Jayne yelled out in his coarse manner "Mal? What 'n the hell are you doin' leaned up on that light post?" They stopped short, Inara gasping when she saw in the flickering light the haunted look in his eyes. Zoe smacked Jayne's arm lightly, muttering "Come on, Cobb; help me get back on the ship. Cap'n and Inara need to talk."

While they walked away, Inara made her way over to where Mal was still leaning up against the post, as if it were the only thing tethering him to the ground. He watched her warily as she approached. They stood apart for some time, staring at each other. Finally, Mal hoarsely asked "What do you want, 'Nara?" She opened and closed her mouth several times, trying to form the words. But in the end, only one came out: "You"

**Well, turns out I have an idea for a 3****rd**** chapter as well. But let me hear what you all think first. Hit that little review button. It's so **_**shiny**_** and it's calling you. It really is.**

**And before anyone asks, YES that last bit I kinda ripped from "Castle". I had to, it just fit.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Well, I guess y'all like this, since I see it getting hits and alerts. So here we go with chapter 3.**

**BTW, this chapter uses another song by The Airborne Toxic Event, called "Half of Something Else". It seemed to fit these two.**

Mal stared at Inara for a long moment, not quite believing his ears. _'I must be pretty gorram drunk'_ he thought to himself. He studied her face, trying to get past her Companion training to see what she really felt. "Shuh-MUH?"He finally said. She smiled softly at him. "I said, I want you. Mal, I shouldn't have ever left." She spoke softly, and he had to lean closer to catch everything. As he took in her words, he caught a whiff of her perfume, and everything came rushing back to him. Without meaning to, he let out a soft moan. He righted himself abruptly, trying to maintain control over himself in his inebriated state.

"Don't play round with me 'Nara. I'm not in the mood for any of your Companion games. Don't make me believe somethin' that's not real." He told her sharply, trying to not get his hopes up. He couldn't take it if she did this to him again; got him all wrapped up in a lovely dream just to waken him by making him live the nightmare of life without her. She shook her head, reaching out a hand to touch his shoulder, trying to bridge the space between them. "Mal, I'm not playing a game here. I've been hurting ever since I left you, left _Serenity_. I was happy with you, and I shouldn't have run." He looked at her with pain, and yes hope, in his blue eyes. "Then _why did you leave me?_" he almost shouted.

Inara's lips began trembling at his words. She decided she was done with being nice and subtle. "Because you made me feel! I couldn't ignore my feelings like I've been trained to do. I was falling in love with you, and I couldn't stop it! And I was afraid! I've never been out of control, Mal. And falling in love with you made me lose control, and _feel,_ and I didn't want to see it in your eyes when you were through with me. I couldn't take that. So I left first. But that hurt too! What am I supposed to do now?" The tears she had been trying to hold back finally began falling. Her shoulders shook and she stood there, finally baring her feelings to him. And she felt the weight that had been pressing down on her soul lift, lighten.

He stood in shock, knowing that he couldn't be drunk enough to imagine her yelling at him that way. Mal knew she _never_ lost control like that. And to know that he was the cause of it, well honestly a very small part of him felt pretty proud of the fact that he could make a trained Companion lose control and fall in love. He finally registered that she had stopped yelling and was waiting on a response. "'Nara, I never wanted to hurt you. I'd have never left you. Do you know what kind of mess I've been the last few months? You left me swingin. All I wanted-" he choked up here and tried to clear his throat, "All I wanted was to be with you. That day you left was the worst day of my life, and you know I've had some bad ones." They both chuckled at this, which eased the knot of tension that had formed.

Mal kept talking. "You made me feel too, 'Nara. I was feelin it too. And I never wanted it to end." Then he groaned out "Ah, hell with it" and pulled her close for a rough kiss.

_On the night that we met  
You told me you wanted  
Something more from me  
And it was all that I could do_

I remember your face, like a child  
The way that you blushed  
The way that you smiled  
And now it's all that I can do

And I wake up feeling new  
There's so much more I never knew

The kiss felt like it lasted for days. Inara felt herself relaxing in his arms, as if she was home. Running her fingers through his hair only seemed to intensify his need for her, and he pulled her even closer. As the finally broke apart, Mal laid his forehead against hers. "You know we'll never have it easy. I'm gonna tick you off, and you're going to make me wish I'd never come into the black." She chuckled softly and nodded. "But you know we wouldn't have it any other way. We don't know how to do easy, Mal. That's not our way."

_Don't take it so hard;  
We did what we could  
There were no easy answers  
To be understood_

It was all that we could do  
We're the only ones who knew  
Now all I think about is you

_The way that you screamed  
The way that you cried  
The way that you wipe your eyes  
And fall against my side  
The way that you told  
Told me I was wrong  
And the way that you'd sing  
When you'd hear a song_

And the way that you answered  
When you knew I was gone

Jayne and Zoe had been trying to tell everyone what had happened while they were out. Kaylee was wanting to go find the Captain and Inara, "just to make sure they're okay" she said, although everyone knew she really just wanted to know what was happening. River sat and smiled. She could tell everything was right again, but she didn't want to ruin the happy ending. Finally, they heard Inara's musical laugh as they walked into the ship, Inara holding Mal up and laughing at his exaggerated stories of the jobs they'd done since she had been gone. They ran and looked down at them from the catwalk. Kaylee shrieked out "Are you really back 'Nara?" She looked up at her friend and smiled. "Yes, _Mei mei, _I'm home." With that, everyone made their way down to hug her, and Inara smiled as she heard the joyous voices of her friends. She really was home.

Later that night, as they lay together in Mal's bunk, she looked at him as he stretched. "Mal, you know I mean to stay now. I'm not ever going to run again. And I'm not going back to being a Companion." Mal's eyes widened at this last statement. He knew what he was getting into with her, and he had promised himself he wasn't going to push her on it. "You really would give that up for me?" he whispered. She nodded and smiled. "Yes Mal, I'm yours completely." He kissed her fervently, and then whispered "You better remember that, 'cause I'm yours too."

_Now I know that I'm blind  
And that you're all I see  
And yeah I know it's not clever  
But I just want you with me_

I'm only half of something else  
I'm only half of something else  
I'm only half of something else

**And that's a wrap! I hope all you readers have enjoyed this. If you did, please hit that little blue button. You could even just leave a smiley face if you don't want to type out a note. Just let me know what you thought.**


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